Janelle Monae on Working with Prince: “I’m Still Pinching Myself”

In the September issue of People magazine, Janelle Monae opened up about what it was like working with the legendary Prince on her newly issued album, The Electric Lady. She still can’t believe her luck in teaming with the icon, who is notoriously selective about which artists he collaborates with.

“I’m still pinching myself,” she says about workking with Prince, who contributes guest vocals on “Givin Em What They Love.” Janelle adds, “He’s still a mystery. He actually has an incredible sense of humor!”

The singer also explains why it was fitting for her to recruit Erykah Badu for the album, saying, “Erykah was one of the first female artists to take me on tour, so she’s like a big sister.” She also selected Solange since they’ve “been friends for a few years.”

When it came down to looking for inspiration, Janelle says she looked to her aunts in Kansas. “They have such strong personalities and remind me to be fearless,” she says. She also admits that the three months she spent working as a maid actually helped her “have more compassion for those without opportunities.” She adds, “I thought about those women when I was creating these songs. U want to make them feel empowered.”